Lilli Ann Carey / Owner-Instructor

Lilli Ann began partner dancing with Living Traditions/Northwest Dance Network in the 1990's, where the draw of instruction, music, dance and community made her a complete convert. She loves to dance almost anything, but focuses her teaching on Waltz, Swing variations, Zydeco, Polka, Foxtrot, One-Step/Blues and a few vintage dance forms. Lilli Ann promotes dance through classes, workshops and events through her company, Dance For Joy!, including the grand Evening in Vienna and Cornucopia balls. She also coordinates the highly successful Dancing 'til Dusk program for Seattle Parks and Recreation during the summer, which attracts hundreds of dancers (and soon to be dancers) each night.

You will find Lilli Ann teaching several nights a week in Seattle and conducts workshops and events locally, and is a popular instructor in Portland, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. She has been named an "innovator in the Waltz medium" by Stanford University's Richard Powers. Her spontaneous sense of humor, dynamic energy, right-on observations and technical skills lead to a playful and effective learning environment. You may find her through her website at www.danceforjoy.biz

Claire Carey / Instructor

With high spirits, Claire Carey started learning East Coast Swing at age 7, and bounced onto the social dance floor. Now 20, she loves the beauty of Waltz, the energy of Lindy Hop, the groove of Zydeco, the spice of Salsa, and is head-over-heels about the drive of West Coast Swing. She is passionate about helping anyone who wants to learn and experience the joy of partner dance, whether from the middle in classes, at a turning point in private lessons, or from the sidelines of a dance. Although Claire is a technician through and through, she always brings her abundant joy and idiosyncratic nature into the room.

Ari Levitt / Instructor

Ari Levitt has performed and taught social dances since 1990. He first toured with Stanford's Dunai Dance Ensemble, helped to start Stanford's first Ballroom/Swing dance club, and served as lead choreographer and dance instructor for the Stanford Viennese Ball. Ari was next involved in the creation of the Lindy Hop movement in Seattle, and actively taught and performed as a member of Seattle's first Savoy Swing Performance Troupe. In 1992 he introduced the first Night Club Two-Step classes to Seattle as a guest instructor with Living Traditions/Northwest Dance Network. During this time he also taught workshops in Swing, Salsa, Ballroom and Latin dance around the USA and Canada. Ari founded the Central Pennsylvania Swing Society; founded, choreographed, directed and performed with the Jumpcats Swing ensemble; was commissioned to choreograph and perform various Swing and Salsa numbers for the One Broadway concert series two years running; and ran a Swing week each spring at Hershey Park, while continuing to travel throughout the US and Canada teaching Swing, Salsa, and social dance workshops. Ari most recently lived in the Bay Area and performed with the Swingcats Rhythm Review and Stanford Salseros. Ari has now settled again in Seattle. Welcome back, Ari!

David Wilbur / Instructor

From an early age, David had a strong aversion to dance, brought on by formal Ballroom dance lessons at the age of 12. (It wasn't a happy summer) Not until his late 40s, when he got tricked into going to a pre-dance workshop at the Leif Erikson Ballroom, did David REALLY discover dance. Well, the workshop was so much fun, he signed up that night for a Swing class. After a good deal of struggle figuring out the difference between his left and right foot, he began to get more and more excited about partner dancing. The fear of not being competent, which had been the main reason to avoid dance, was soon replaced by just plain fun. He now loves not only Swing, but Waltz, Salsa, Cha Cha, Blues, Foxtrot and Zydeco. Now, his passion for dance has lead him to adapt moves from different styles, while retaining the flavor of the music at the moment to create his own distinct style. Mostly though, he concentrates on just having just fun! That's what dancing is really all about.

Jamie Shamseldin / Instructor

Jamie began dancing at Stanford University in 1997, and partner dancing soon became her favorite pastime. She took social dance classes, went out dancing almost every night, and joined the Stanford Vintage Dance Ensemble, a dance performance group that performed social dances from the Victorian to the Ragtime and Swing eras. She claims she would not have met the credit requirements for graduation without all the dance class credits. Throughout college and the years following, she continued to dance regularly and performed with the Viennese Ball Opening Committee and Danse Libre. She performed Waltz, Polka, Mazurka, Maxixe, One-step, Two-step, Quickstep, Foxtrot, and Lindy Hop, among others. In 2006, Jamie moved back home to Seattle to be closer to family and continued social dancing. Her favorite dances are currently Lindy Hop, Blues, and Waltz. She has recently had the wonderful opportunity to teach dance with Lilli Ann and has learned yet another way to have fun dancing.

Nancy Fry / Instructor

Nancy discovered her joy of partner dancing in the early 1980s. She learned to dance by dancing, and became enthralled by the art of following. You could find her out almost anywhere, dancing Polka or Swing, Waltz or Two-step, Schottische or Cha Cha, Cajun or Contra. In the early 1990s Nancy was introduced to Lindy Hop, and soon afterward became a founding member of Seattle’s Savoy Swing Club. In 1999 she competed in the U.S. Open National Swing Dance Championships with her dance partner, Guy Caridi, and with the Savoy Swing Club Performance Troup, placing in both events that she entered. Nancy began teaching Lindy Hop in 1993 with Guy, and has been teaching partner dance ever since. She has taught with Savoy Swing Club, Northwest Dance Network, and most recently with Dance for Joy. Nancy believes that the joy of dance is to be found in the connection between the two partners, and the “dance” they are continually creating together.

Winfield Hobbs / Instructor

Winfield Hobbs has been partner dancing since 1987. He has been dancing swing since 1989, performing Lindy Hop style of swing since 1993 and teaching since 1995. He is a founding member of Seattle’s Savoy Swing Club. He has taught over 140 five and six week class series in swing and related dances. He has been dancing tango since 1990, studying with instructors from all over the world. He spent 10 days with the top milongueros in Buenos Aires and another week at Stanford. He has taught from one hour to week long workshops in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Pasco, Moscow, Id, Mendocino CA, Corvallis, OR, New York City and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Passion and humor share the stage with knowledge when Win teaches.